Sadly, many relationships that begin well can quickly become abusive when one partner starts to impose their will on the other. This can result in actions such as physical violence, verbal abuse, online abuse, attempting to impose control over the other partner’s life, or pressure to have sex. Unfortunately, many young people, particularly those who are starting out in relationships for the first time, aren’t sure what to expect from a healthy relationship. Others may have grown up in a home where an abusive relationship exists between parents, which is then accepted as normal.

The following documents give some useful advice on how to recognise if you or someone you know are in an abusive relationship and what to do about it: